A77813:49
A few sighs from hell, or, The groans of a damned soul. Or, An…
A few sighs from hell, or, The groans of a damned soul. Or, An exposition of those words in the sixteenth of Luke, concerning the rich man and the beggar : wherein is discovered the lamentable state of the damned : their cries, their desires in their distresses, with the determination of God upon them. A good warning word to sinners, both old and young, to take into consideration betimes, and to seek by faith in Jesus Christ to avoid, lest they come into the same place of torment. Also a brief discourse touching the profitableness of the Scriptures for our instruction in the way of righteousness, according to the tendency of the said parable. / By that poor and contemptible servant of Jesus Christ, John Bunyan.A few sighs from hell, or, The groans of a damned soul. Or, An exposition of those words in the sixteenth of Luke, concerning the rich man and the beggar : wherein is discovered the lamentable state of the damned : their cries, their desires in their distresses, with the determination of God upon them. A good warning word to sinners, both old and young, to take into consideration betimes, and to seek by faith in Jesus Christ to avoid, lest they come into the same place of torment. Also a brief discourse touching the profitableness of the Scriptures for our instruction in the way of righteousness, according to the tendancy of the said parable. / By that poor and contemptible servant of Jesus Christ, John Bunyan.
London: printed by Ralph Wood for M. Wright, 1658
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. If these verses had been spoken by Jesus Christ, and no more, all the world would have gone near to have cast a wrong interpretation on them. I say, if Jesus had said only thus much, There was a certain rich man that fared sumptuously daily, and a certain beggar laid at his gate full of sores. The world would have made this conclusion of them, the rich man was the happy man. For at the first view it doth represent such a thing. But take all together, (that is) read the whole Parable, and you shall find, that there is no man in a worse ⟨p. 5⟩condition then he, as I shall clearly hold forth afterward.
1. If these verses had been spoken by Jesus Christ, and no more, all the world would have gone near to have cast a wrong interpretation on them. I say, if Jesus had said onely thus much, There was a certain rich man that fared sumptuously daily, and a certain beggar laid at his gate full of sores. The world would have made this conclusion of them, the rich man was the happy man. For at the first view it doth represent such a thing. But take all together, (that is) read the whole Parable, and you shall finde, that there is no man in a worse ⟨p. 5⟩condition then he, as I shall clearly hold forth afterward.
2. Again, if a man would judge of men according to outward appearance, he shall oft-times take his mark amiss. Here is a man to outward appearance, appears the only blessed man; better by half then the beggar, in as much as he is rich, the beggar poor; he is well clothed, but peradventure the beggar is naked; he hath good food, but the beggar would be glad of dogs meat; (And he desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich mans table) the rich man fares well every day, but the beggar must be glad of a bit when he can g•t it. Oh! who would not be in the rich mans state? A wealthy man, sorts of new suits, and dainty dishes every day: enough to make one, who minds nothing but his belly, and his back, & his lusts, to say, Oh, that I were in that mans condition! Oh that I had about me as that man had! Then I should live a life indeed; then should I have hearts ease good store; then I should live pleasantly, and might say to my soul, Soul, be of good cheer, eat, drink and be merry, thou hast every